No. 5 Nebraska (20-0, 9-0 Big Ten) travels to Crisler Center on Tuesday night for the first top-five matchup in program history, facing No. 3 Michigan (18-1, 8-1 Big Ten) in a game that could determine the Big Ten regular-season title race. Who wins? Our Nebraska vs. Michigan prediction includes projected lineups, key matchups, and a score forecast for an epic encounter.
Nebraska vs. Michigan Projected Lineups and Key Matchups
Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Sam Hoiberg (9.0 PPG)
- Jamarques Lawrence (10.3 PPG)
- Pryce Sandfort (17.3 PPG)
- Berke Buyuktuncel (7.5 PPG)
- Rienk Mast (14.6 PPG)
Michigan Wolverines
- Elliot Cadeau (10.3 PPG)
- Nimari Burnett (8.6 PPG)
- Morez Johnson Jr. (13.7 PPG)
- Yaxel Lendeborg (14.4 PPG)
- Aday Mara (10.9 PPG)
The frontcourt battle between Rienk Mast and 7’3″ Aday Mara will define the paint. Michigan has had trouble defending shooting big men, and Mast fits that description perfectly though he’s struggled from deep recently. If the Dutch big man gets going, Nebraska’s offense opens up.
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Pryce Sandfort carries the Huskers’ scoring load, coming off a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double against Minnesota. He’ll draw attention from Yaxel Lendeborg, the two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, who leads Michigan in steals.
Nebraska leads the Big Ten in three-point attempts and makes; Michigan counters with length and shot-blocking at the rim. The Huskers enter without freshman Braden Frager, thinning their perimeter depth for a game where every possession matters.
Nebraska vs. Michigan Prediction and Preview
This matchup pits two of the top-four teams in our most recent power rankings and is appointment viewing. The teams have combined for one loss this season, have a total of eight players averaging in double figures, and have another big test coming by week’s end.
This is a big measuring stick game both ways.
Plain and simple, I think this game is won on the glass. The Wolverines rank 14th in rebound rate this season and should be able to end possessions at a high level against a Nebraska team that relies more on gang rebounding than any one primary source (149th in rebound rate).
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That’s the cleanest path to victory and why I think Michigan wins this game 78-71.
That said, if the Cornhuskers can keep this game tight, they might finish the team. They can combat Michigan’s top-five defense with a top-five assist-to-turnover rate, thus giving them the potential to get consistent looks at the bucket.
I’m not calling for the upset, but I won’t be surprised if this is a one-possession game at the under-eight-minute timeout.
Prediction: Michigan 78, Nebraska 71
How To Watch Nebraska vs. Michigan
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2025
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Arena: Crisler Center
- TV Channel: NBCSN
- Live Stream: Peacock
